I ask of JK Rowling: What do you think of all the haters?

What happened? Why has it gone this far? When did emotions begin to rule over intellect?

A long time ago I wrote a post about shipping. In that post, I compared shippers to Dr. Seuss’s story about the Star Bellied Sneeches who had “bellies with stars” and the plain bellied Sneeches who “had none upon thars”.

Well, since the shipping wars are all but deader than the poor horse that was beaten over and over all in the name of “shipping”, some fans have changed focus. A once beloved figure in the Harry Potter fandom, Steve Vander Ark, now has a name that is now synonymous with “traitor”. Why? because he took Rowling’s seven books and created an encyclopedia out of it. One that had been in internet form for several years. Rowling, the mega millionaire, whose own encyclopedia’s sales will dwarf the one to be published by RDR Books ten times over, feels that it is plagiarism and will take away sales of her own book that has no publishing date and no plans to be published in the immediate future. I am not sure if it has even been started.

What makes this so disturbing, is that for those of us who feel that this book frankly, is no big deal, and should be published under the guidelines of “fair use”, we have been called “JK Rowling haters”, or “Steve Vander Ark lovers”. Simply because, we are exercising out inalienable right to disagree. We are not “true fans”

GASP!!! We disagree!!!

Earlier last week, an author by the name of Karen Brown, who has written a scholarly book about prejudice in the Harry Potter novels, made the unfortunate mistake of exercising her rights of freedom of speech (comment #5), believing her posts at the Leaky Lounge had been edited because she believed that RDR Books should win this lawsuit.

Much to her dismay, this attracted the ire of the webmistress of the Leaky Lounge. Talk about being blindsided!!! This poor woman did not know what hit her. She was so taken off guard by the threat of a lawsuit, that she issued a press release.

What the heck is going on here!!??

Once, we could browse through the various fansites and forums without fear. Differing opinions on plot lines, characters, and the future of the series were encouraged. Debates, except for those in the shipping threads were fun, exciting, and you know what? Who really cared if you were wrong (Riddle in Harry anyone??), it was a book and nothing more.

Well, times they are a changing!!!

Unless you proclaim that you have a star on your belly that screams “WE SUPPORT JKR!”, you must not be a loyal Rowling fan. So “with their snoots in the air, they sniff and they snort”. Well, sniff and snort all you like. I have the right to my opinion, just as those who believe that WB/Rowling should absolutely win that case has the right to theirs. I am not a bad person, and I am still a fan.

I am a fan who just happens to disagree with this beloved author and I am proud of not being a sheep led by the nose to pasture. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a vigorous debate on the issues. When the debate turns ugly, and the facts of the case are clouded with immature name calling and emotional ranting and raving, then fandom has taken a turn for the worse.

I wonder if JK Rowling has read any of the name calling? Does she approve of super fan and webmistress Melissa Anelli threatening leaky posters with baseless lawsuits? Does she encourage the mob mentality?

As Tom Riddle once said, “Funny, isn’t it? The damage a silly little book can do?

56 Responses

Nicely done K
I do wonder if the creator of the tale (not necassarily the fandom) knows that their is another side? I am sure she is not goping to read this and proclaim “ooh I was wrong – ooh Steve lets settle and be friends!!” Yet! it just bothers so many of us fans (yes fans!) that this is all occuring and that the most “loyal website” is run like big brother.
Leaky used to be a great place- even when you didn’t agree with the admin- there was still a respect of who they were and a healthy debate. Now it is just sheer my views or no views sad- sad-
Well I guess it is “her” site and she gets to be on Tv so she can run it how she wants to. I just think it is unfair that a discussion forum is no longer discussions but posts of loyality- maybe it should be called Loyal ‘Lisa now?

Karen Brown had one post edited. It was edited because she suggested another member resembled an irrational cult-member. Her comments asking members to pity Steve, whom she said was “cracking up” because of the case, and her opinions on why his book should be published were not edited or censored. Her press release misrepresented these facts. Is it coincidental that her press release is promoting her own book about Harry Potter? I hope not.

I don’t think JKR started the HP encyclopedia. She said something to the effect that she was to distraught. I don’t remember the exact quote just that she sounded alot like Moaning Myrtle.

I have taken a step back in posting my opinion, because of the anger. On both sides they believe that they are fighting for the better good. Alas, they are not! Fans will not deside the out come only the courts can. To beat each other up is sad and wrong.

Which brings me to Melissa theating to sue Karen Brown. Melissa is an intimanator. I feel MA just didn’t know who she was messing with when she tried to bully KB, because MA knew she was in the wrong.

The Leaky’s #1 rule is to be kind this kindness doesn’t seem to extend to Steve any more. To be far Melissa has never followed that rule.

Well-said, Kristin. I also wonder if JKR/WB knows about all the hate and threats that some people feel are appropriate even though this is not a criminal case and Steve Vander Ark is not even a defendent. They would probably be shocked at what people are writing in the name of loyalty to Harry Potter.

Look at this post from “batmaz” on Livejournal in a post called “This is Why Steve Vander Ark is a Loser.” She quotes some of JKR’s trial testimony and then makes a disturbing comment:

Q.(David Hammer)Have you ever used a dictionary, Ms. Rowling?
A. (JKR)You are telling me Mr. Vander Ark is going to teach me how to spell?

Batmaz: I knew there was a reason she was one of my heroes. If she doesn’t win, there are going to be some serious assassinations going down.”
~~~~~~~~~~~

I reported this person to Livejournal Abuse, but they didn’t think that post was specific enough to be called a “death threat.” So I asked Batmaz a few questions:
~~~~~~~~~~~
From Me:
May. 19th, 2008 11:40 pm (UTC)
Let me ask you because I’m curious – do you really mean that about assassinating people in a case about publishing a book? Whom do you think should be killed? Steve, because you think he is a loser? Anybody else? And who should do it? Yourself or some of the fans? Is death the only answer you can think of to solve this publishing question?
~~~~~~~~~~

I adore J. K. Rowling and her series of books. I am not, and never intend to be, a murderer or assassin and I would not actually attempt to kill Vander Ark or anybody at RDR books. I would just be annoyed, ask people to boycott the website and the book, and huff and puff. And joke about killing him on the internet.

I am not asking any of the other fans to kill Vander Ark or any employee of RDR. Therefore if somebody does and it comes up in court and they say I told them to, this is my disclaimer: I’m joking ^_^

I think the legal system will on this occasion be able to see that the work, without a doubt, belongs to Ms Rowling, and present us with sweet justice.

I just have quite a stylised sense of humour hehe.

Thanks for the comment!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So there you go – Assasination jokes are funny, and it’s all in the name of giving JKR sweet justice, and that’s okey-dokey with her! Wow.

Karen did not mention the title of her book in her press release at all. Neither did she call anyone a cult member. If you read her press release you would have realized both these truths. She is not the one “misrepresenting” anything here.

Also, Karen did not say Steve’s book should be published. She said “Let the judge decide” and let’s not fall into the trap of the many ganging up on one man. Who is twisting the truth here? This just goes to show how brainwashed and wilfully deaf and blind these Leaky people are. Stop framing people with “anti-Rowling” feelings just because they don’t agree that Steve Vander Ark should be mobbed.

So you lament the name-calling and spitefulness and then refer to everyone who believes the Lexicon is an infringing book as “sheep led by the nose”? I guess only people who disagree with JKR are capable of intelligent, rational thought. There has been hostility, hysteria and viciousness put out by both sides. I have no objection to calling out TLC when they do it but why ignore all pro-Lexicon haters?

actually, Lexie I refer to those who feel that I am not a fan because I disagree. The idea that I must agree with the side of Rowling or I must not be a true fan of the books is meant by the reference of being led by the nose. This entry is not aimed at all fans, it is aimed at those who feel that since I disagree, I am wrong. Remember that this is a free country and it was built on the idea of freedom of speech.

Why do you accept unchallenged that Karen Brown’s post was edited for it’s content? I saw the post before it was edited, the editing had nothing to do with her position. If she says it does, then she is lying or badly confused, unless a key part of her position was name calling. There are posters on those threads that routinely defend the Lexicon Book much better than she did and their posts are left untouched by the editors. The reason I have followed this in the lounge is because they do not allow name calling. Why not ask Karen Brown for exactly what was edited?

If you call someone a name on the Lexicon threads, your post will be deleted or edited no matter what your position is. That is just the way it is. Right after the trial there was a post at the Leaky Cauldron news site that was pretty inflammatory towards Steve Vander Ark from a source that knew him well. It was so caustic that any mention of it was deleted when the post was quoted in the Lexicon Thread. If they were editing based on the poster’s position, why were those posts deleted that were incredibly damaging to Steve Vander Ark?

Liz: I don’t think JKR started the HP encyclopedia. She said something to the effect that she was to distraught. I don’t remember the exact quote just that she sounded alot like Moaning Myrtle.
Yeah, distraught because of a suit that she brought. If her creativity has been decimated by this case, then she only has herself to blame.

Rattlesnakeroot: So there you go – Assasination jokes are funny, and it’s all in the name of giving JKR sweet justice, and that’s okey-dokey with her! Wow.
So is hitting him over the head with a 2×4. So is saying that if he commits suicide, it won’t matter to anyone. So are all the other literal and figurative analogies and metaphors for how he deserves to be tarred and feathered and flayed to within an inch of his life for daring to color outside the lines.

Mike: Why do you accept unchallenged that Karen Brown’s post was edited for it’s content? I saw the post before it was edited, the editing had nothing to do with her position.
Because some of us have had the experience of edited posts without notification, so it’s easy to believe. I don’t doubt for a minute that it happened. MA’s defensive stance on the matter confirms it.

Please get facts next time. For what a real lawyer thinks of this, read the following from Findlaw.com http://writ.lp.findlaw.com/hilden/20080428.html The writer of that is not “a sheep being led by the nose”.
I do believe that’s one of the very few pro-JKR/WB articles you’ll find anywhere. There aren’t many. Many lawyers are either on the fence–even the judge says this can go either way, so RDR must have a case–or are predicting RDR to win. Many writers, who know a thing or two about copyright themselves, are also predicting RDR to win.

PS to above: Julie Hilden practiced law for all of 3 years. I’ll take the opinion of someone with 60+ cases under their belt (as in David Hammer) or that of a law professor (as in Tim Wu) any day. Experience does count, more so than being educated at Harvard Law and Yale Law.

I hate to speak for Karen Brown when she can do so for herself but she was not defending the Lex book. She thinks it is copyright infringement. What she was speaking against was the way SVA was being trashed at Leaky.
If Leaky is so fair to Steve, then why did they leave those comments by his ex-wife up? Even Fandom Wank was not comfortable leaving them up.

Mike – Tim Wu, also a “real lawyer”, has the opposite opinion. You can read what he has to say here. He is a known authority on copyright law, given credit for coining the term “net neutrality”, and has just as distinguished a background as Julie Hilden.
Interestingly enough, Wu and Hilden clerked for the same Supreme Court justice, Stephen Breyer (though he was a judge for the First Circuit Court of Appeals when Hilden did).

I thought this was out of the news but apparently it isn’t. Oh dear. Well, I do not know if my post was edited for its content; but it was certainly deemed “abusive.” I’ve posted it below so you can read it for yourselves. But let me just say that the Leaky moderators have the right to make that decision since it is their site; so I asked to beg differ because it is not my place to go on there and tell them how to run their webpage.

What really led to the disagreement between myself and the webmistress, and me writing a press release, were later accusations that I had complained about being edited without receiving or reading the notification that I had been edited. I was told that there was “proof” of this that could incriminate me in a court of law for making “pernicious” remarks/slandering their site. I have no reason to lie about this. All the correspondences have been saved, including the one notifying me that I had been edited. By the way, I am copying and pasting the chopped post here:

QUOTE:
I’m sorry saying this, Monty; I know you were joking but I think the God thing was inappropriate. And not even because it’s an obvious jibe at Vander Ark’s remarks [at least, I suppose it was], but rather because this is another kind of remark that could be misconstrued by casual observers: We want to give the impression to everyone that we are rational and fair people, not a band of cult-like fanatics who happen to be on JK’s side [Let's face it...We have all chosen a side.].
[END QUOTE]

You can decide whether or not it deserved to be chopped (After all, we are all entitled to our opinions). But please don’t infer that I am a liar or that I wrote a press release to sell my book (I didn’t even mention the title of my book in the press release. I simply stated the facts about the accusations that were levied against me). http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200805/1210548836.html

Also, when I said Mr. Vander Ark was probably “cracking up”; I meant he was probably under a lot of stress and so much attention should not have been targeted at his statements to Professor Tim Wu. They should have been ignored as a somewhat emotional outburst from a man who considers himself to be an “outcast” and “persecuted”…and with good reason. Just by reading some of the fansites, I do not blame him for feeling that way. As to whether or not his book should be published, I have always said “Let the judge decide.”

Actually, mike, a lot of us have seen what was edited out of the Karen Brown’s post, since it’s discussed here: http://rattlesnakeroot.livejournal.com/39377.html?thread=418001#t418001. Frankly, I fail to see what was wrong with the comment or why it needed editing, except that it criticized the prevailing view of JKR at TLC. It certainly didn’t call any specific poster names. It seems to have been aimed at trying to get the pro-JKR people at TLC to behave more moderately so that no one in the real world stumbling onto TLC would think they’re a bunch raving lunatics there. But, apparently, the mod at TLC didn’t understand her kind warning that people in the real world might think that.

Karen Brown, your post snidely suggested Monty was a cult-like fanatic. The moderators should have removed that, particularly if Monty complained. But you had no reason to exaggerate and claim that more than one post had been edited or that your opinions about Steve were being censored. Your attack on the mods was inappropriate. You were notified of the edit and the reason for it.

The free-press-release.com is a marketing website and you signed your press release with a link to your book’s webpage. Even your comments here are shameless self-promotion of your book.

I find it hypocritical of rattlesnakeroot to champion free speech when she’s conducting her own witch hunt against a teenager who has offended her own superimposed Be Nice rule. The bully cries foul. And Brenda Vander Ark was not deleted from the Leaky Cauldron’s comments because she is Steve’s wife. Anyone else making the same comments or repeating them has seen their comments deleted.

AB: I am not conducting a “witch hunt.” Nor was I the one who originally found that post – LunasCeiling found it while looking around and showed it to me.

I believe that batmaz agreed to the terms of service of Livejournal when she signed up and that includes threatening other LJ members. I went through the proper channels and the Abuse Panel said it wasn’t anything to them, so I decided to use it as an example of what people are saying in fandom. Why not? It’s a public post, just like the vitriolic spew on Fandom Wank. Let’s face it, people keep denying that anyone ever says anything negative about Steve or Elanor, but there’s your example right there. And the fact it might be a teenager should give everyone pause because they are impressionable and they think those ideas are accepted if you are a “true fan” who wants “justice for Jo.” If one of my ever kids wrote something like that about someone on the Internet, I would be incensed and worried about their state of mind. She says it is a joke, but not all of us think it is very funny.

And yet we see that stuff every day, and have for months. I don’t have to hunt anyone. It’s all out there in plain sight.
~SIP

As for the link to my book’s webpage, I put it in most of my signatures and I make no apologies for that…never mind the fact that it’s not even an active link that you can click on in the press release. You sound like you need to defend something/someone rather aggressively. So, as always, I will beg to differ but simply say that you are entitled to your own views.

I feel I have to agree about the name calling, but you came close to that with your own blog (I am not accusing you of anything, I am just saying that it can happen, even when you have the best intentions). I agree with JKR/WB stance, but I am no sheep. I do not worship every single thing JKR says and I really hope EVERYONE comes out of this trial with the least amount of damage possible. Don’t we all have the right to excercise our freedom of speech? or that is only for those who do not “side” with JKR and WB?

Honestly, I feel like I am in the Twilight Zone. I regret ever getting involved with the fandom at all. Contrary to what some of you think about me and my book, the result of getting involved in this has not proven favourable for me in any way. I came out and asked for fans to stop bashing one man and let the judge decide the fate of his book. All I was trying to say in my post was, “let us act like rational people who like/support JKR: referring to her as ‘God’ and acting the way we are just makes us and her look kind of dodgy to casual observers.” I don’t see anything in this that is an attack against any one person or group of people. If anything I counted myself amongst the group I was admonishing.

It’s not so much that my post got chopped that bothers me, and not even the cynical suggestions here that I started this whole thing to get publicity for my book…it’s everything that happened after I made those remarks: the calls for a “retraction” after I complained about being edited for something I thought was harmless, people losing their nerve and accusing random people of being me (over such a simple matter), accusations of malice and spite and then lawsuit threats…It seems to go on and on and on. And it all started because certain people were not willing to admit that they were not impartial. What’s wrong with admitting that you’re biased? Absolutely nothing. What’s wrong with snubbing or bashing other people, or issuing death threats (even as a joke) against someone who’ve said/done something you disagree with? Everything. I don’t like being bullied and I don’t like being told what to think and how to feel. I certainly don’t like being called a liar and threatened with lawsuits.

But seriously, people. This is madness! People are mourning their dead in China. Soldiers and civilians are dying in Iraq. All kinds of human rights violations are taking place in the Sudan.

Yet here we are at loggerheads over who has the right to speak their opinion about a lawsuit between a billionaire writer and an enthusiastic fan. Get a grip! None of this matters in the grand scheme of things! And who cares if I am trying to promote my book? That is not what started this mess…But, even if that were my main motivation for getting involved in this fracas, why should I be ashamed of promoting my book? And wouldn’t it have been easier and far more lucrative for me to join the very LARGE bandwagon that was bashing Steve Vander Ark instead of calling them out on their aggressiveness towards ONE human being? I knew that what I had to say would make me unpopular amongst the vast majority of HP fans; but I said it anyway. Because I have this fundamental belief that JK Rowling does not approve of bullying. I may or may not be wrong, but that’s how I feel and I have a right to express my views without being attacked or having people put words in my mouth. But then…in the grand scheme of things, does any of this really MATTER?

lrhg – deleted or screened. Oftentimes people screen anonymous comments. Furthermore, it’s her journal. She can do what she likes there. If your comments were cruel, incoherent, or revealing personal information about another person, she has every right to.

rattlesnakeroot, how is one teenage minor in Wales representative of fandom? She only has three posts on her whole LJ. All I can think is Vander Ark’s Army has run out of real enemies and is scouring the Shire for Harry Potter fans smaller and younger than them to kick. It sounds so like something Avery and Mulciber would do.

Irhg: I know who you are, and I’m not a hypocrite about your posts. I wrote several times on numerous blog entries that anyone who posts private personal information about someone on my blog will be deleted, blocked, or screened. You broke my rules – end of story.

Do you know how to follow the simplest rules? Didn’t you just try to hijack my blog for vengeful personal reasons of your own?

I don’t owe you a soapbox for your opinions in which you insult people or try to embarrass them further. You’ll have to find another place to do that.
~SIP

Karen, don’t be such a drama queen. If you’re so worried about the dead and dying in China, what was all the boo-hooing about over a couple of silly lines cut. Get real. “Help! Help! I’m being oppressed! Violence inherent in the system! Violence inherent in the system!” Right, Queen Spamalot.

Lauren, if Steve’s wife wants to give her side of things, I think it shows the bias in rattlesnakeroot’s worldview when she deletes her comments. Who’s the bully? Imagine writing the LJ admins trying to get that teen girl in trouble and having a fit when they didn’t take it seriously.

The January 10th post by Wu was done before ANY of the evidence was presented. Nobody knew what the Lexicon Book would look like. That was before we knew that over 2,000 of the 2,400 entries contained nothing but JK Rowling’s materials. We only had Roger Rapoport’s assurances that it would contain analysis and commentary. I find it enlightening that after the trial Wu did not write a piece on the merits of the case. He writes about a fan feud in the New Yorker.

Kristin, the story of the Sneeches doesn’t apply at all. That story is about appearances dictating actions. What we have here are ACTIONS by Steve Vander Ark causing him to be a part of a trial- and fans trying to determine if what his publisher attempted to do is legal or not. This isn’t fans judging other fans by their looks, it’s fans interpreting what has happened, and making opinions
Here are some actions :
1. WB/JKR tried to deal with SVA/RDR in private, but they ignored four C&Ds

2. SVA/RDR argued that because JKR had allowed a free website, she had also allowed a for-profit book.

3. You can lose a trademark if you don’t defend it, and WB decided to defend their trademark.

4.. Leaky Cauldron has been paying the site hosting for years for the on line Lexicon, but then SVA put Google ads on the site for himself to make money.

6. SVA had a clause in his RDR contract that said he would make double royalties off any book sold through Leaky Cauldron, and didn’t tell Melissa about that special arrangement.

So even if you disagree with me that these actins are somewhat shady, you can see that my opinions aren’t formed by any appearance.

And note, I haven’t even BEGUN to go into actions regarding any personal life. (to lhrg – have you read diamonderm’s livejournal- you might be more welcome there than at SIP’S.)

AB: It’s funny that I must have all the bias in fandom because I screen posts from “one person with a vendetta.” You did not see what Irhg first wrote on my blog when she posted the same thing over and over one day out of the blue. That is called spamming – that is LJ abuse. I did not report her because she was anonymous, but then she signed on under her own LJ name, and admitted who she was and what she was doing. She would not listen to anyone and kept posting the same information that she has since posted on Leaky Cauldron, too. I deleted some of her posts – the first time I’ve ever done that – and her later posts are screened.

But guess what? I can do whatever I want on my own blog, and I’ve wasted enough time explaining this again. I think Karen and I both need a tape recorder to go over the same points again, because people are not reading our answers.

Also – you like to make fun of Karen, who was dragged into this drama after a case of mistaken identity on the forum, and then one comment she made about a disturbing religious remark. She never wanted to be dragged through the mud, but people obviously can’t let it go. She tried to handle all of it in private but instead was threatened with a lawsuit! Who has ever heard of a forum dispute handled that way?

And for Drama: What about the “aftermath” of Tim Wu’s Op Ed piece? From one small misquote (which wasn’t actually misquoted, but merely credited to the wrong speaker on Pottercast) there have been several lengthy tearful posts in various places by the person who was quoted, lots of time spent on the next Pottercast going over it all again so people will understand just how “hurt” they are at their victimization by Tim Wu, juvenile name-calling directed at Tim Wu (in the process of being deleted from the Pottercast), and accusations that every journalist in the world is “unprofessional” and doesn’t know what they are doing except . . . the staff of Pottercast.

Drama queen though I may be, I think it is a sad state of affairs when a 14-y-o or anyone else thinks it’s ok to make jokes about killing a man just because he wrote a book. People on the other side of this, and those in the middle too, have the right to express their views too, without being bullied by the majority or threatened with lawsuits. People keep shoving this idea down my throat that Vander Ark’s book is an infringement (2000 out of 2400, really? It’s called a Lexicon, I believe). You are all so sure that you are 100% right, yet the judge and many of the lawyers say otherwise. I’m sure there’s a good reason why they encouraged a settlement. But is anyone allowed to acknowledge this fact? No. Why? Because it doesn’t conform with the dominant view. It is not what the vociferous majority want to hear. What is this, a literary dictatorship?

And AB, was the comparison to Avery and Mulciber (Death Eaters!) really necessary? That’s what bothers me about all of this: Those who claim they are on the “right” side seem to lack the ability to disagree respectfully…or to agree to differ without trashing and demonizing the other side. And yes, the drama queen in me says that is rather sad.

AB: How does Steve’s wife have a side in the Lexicon case? (If she knew what was good for her financially, she’d want the Lexicon to win.) She only has a side in the separation/divorce and that’s not what rattlesnakeroot is discussing on her blog. If Steve’s wife actually ever said anything about the Lexicon case instead of personal comments about her marriage and Steve, I’m sure it wouldn’t be deleted. She’s just using fandom for her own agenda of getting back at Steve & Elanor, making herself feel better.

mike: The Lexicon book is essentially the encyclopedia portion of the website, verbatim from the website. Tim Wu wrote his piece on January 10th understanding that, as he cites such an example from the online Lexicon in his article. So, I don’t see his silence now as telling us anything other than that he is waiting for the judge’s decision just like the rest of us. After all, it could easily go either way.

“That being said, I’m not pleased to read things with comments like “Steve’s not shunned, but I will punch him in the face if I ever see him at a convention.” (a paraphrased comment from the Leaky Lounge)
Being petty and immature gets us nowhere. A heated debate is great. Name calling and threats of violence (even in jest) are unnecessary.”

I WOULD RATHER BE IN THAT CAMP THAN SIDE WITH AN INTIMIDATING (and yes, Karen is right, “bullying”) MAJORITY ANY DAY. GOOD DAY TO YOU ALL.

Karen Brown did not try to deal with her dispute in private. She complained publicly in the LL thread, on this blog and in a press release. She screamed her outrage from the rooftops. “Look at me! Look at me! I’ve been threatened merely because I stretched the truth a teensy-bit to make a point about PREJUDICE –see my book only $24.99 + shipping & handling.”

clair, how is Steve’s wife to benefit from the Lexicon book when Steve has skipped the country. He’s even put the new Lexicon’s URL in Elanor’s name. Steve is having a mid-life crisis. What’s he going to do when Elanor dumps him for someone her own age?

Wow, you have a lot of personal information about the private lives of these people, AB. You sound very bitter too. I’d be afraid to spend a night under the same roof as someone like you. Lighten up, dude. You’re not just making the people you’re attacking look bad, you’re bringing down everybody including yourself and the people you’re supporting. Chill out man.

It’s just that JKR has been HURT by the “personal decisions” of 1 man and 1 woman. So once you know that this is all about “personal” things, I don’t see how you can disagree with JKR. I don’t see how you can get bent out of shape and compare those who think Steve and his mistress are WRONG with stuck-up Star Bellied Sneeches “with their snoots in the air, they sniff and they snort”. Just because we think adultery is wrong and the decisions made to further an affair are wrong doesn’t make us stuck up. And I’m sorry if talking about “personal” things gets you upset, but this is WHY a man who maintained for the longest time that PRINTING THE LEXICON IN BOOK FORM IS WRONG decided to…PRINT IT ANYWAY. And all the spin afterwards doesn’t make it suddenly right. JKR has been dragged into this mess because of these 2 people who had to have what they wanted NOW. And yes, anyone can figure out who it is, because she now is the owner of the new hp-lexicon.info site. So it’s not as if she is trying to stay anonymous.

So does this make me bitter and hateful? Or merely discerning and HONEST.

Disagree with JKR all you want, but don’t do it if you don’t want to know the whole story.

WOW when did the high schooler get let out???
I mean the petty- and nasty remarks- hey I am no saint I can be sarcastic as the next person- but I don’t intentional seek out to hurt someone’s feelings or perceptions!

As a very good friend of mine says ” For goodness sake people its only HArry Potter- a kid’s book!!!!!”

But..but….I’m not the one who needs professional help! LOL. I think SVA needs help, but more along the priestly kind to help in his spiritual battle. But his closest companion probably would whisper against that. So be it, he’s allowing it to happen. So be it

AB posted: Lauren, if Steve’s wife wants to give her side of things, I think it shows the bias in rattlesnakeroot’s worldview when she deletes her comments. Who’s the bully? Imagine writing the LJ admins trying to get that teen girl in trouble and having a fit when they didn’t take it seriously.
There are several things wrong with this reasoning. First of all, this is about a trial. Emotions don’t enter into it, only the facts. Fact #1 is that SVA is not a defendant and so his personal life doesn’t matter one whit. He could be the most awful man on the planet, but that doesn’t make the Lexicon book illegal. And even if it is…he’s not a defendant. Secondly, while I understand that SVA’s wife is upset and angry, she’s not showing particularly good judgment by trashing him up and down on the internet. Divorce attorneys and judges don’t like that sort of behavior, and it will count against her. She is acting irrationally and spitefully and we all know what her motivations are. Thirdly, her personal life (and his) contributes nothing to the discussion, constructive or otherwise.

clair, how is Steve’s wife to benefit from the Lexicon book when Steve has skipped the country.
It’s called a divorce settlement. It doesn’t matter what country he lives in–he will still be obligated to pay that. And saying that he left the country to avoid paying is ridiculous–he could just as easily not pay while residing in the United States.

Michelle posted: I don’t see how you can get bent out of shape and compare those who think Steve and his mistress are WRONG with stuck-up Star Bellied Sneeches “with their snoots in the air, they sniff and they snort”. Just because we think adultery is wrong and the decisions made to further an affair are wrong doesn’t make us stuck up.
Irrelevant, Your Honor. The morality of actions has nothing to do with it–and “morality” is subjective anyway–it has no legal basis. It is your opinion you are stating, nothing more. This is a civil case, remember. Let’s stick to the facts. But if you insist, here’s a fact for you: In many states in the US, “adultery” is no longer grounds for divorce. Period. The wrong party gets no more compensation for adultery than they would for, say, irreconcilable differences.

And I’m sorry if talking about “personal” things gets you upset, but this is WHY a man who maintained for the longest time that PRINTING THE LEXICON IN BOOK FORM IS WRONG decided to…PRINT IT ANYWAY.
Because he made a common mistake–just because you THINK something is illegal doesn’t mean it actually is. It will be up to a judge to decide that.

It’s just that JKR has been HURT by the “personal decisions” of 1 man and 1 woman.
What? Are you suggesting that Steve’s personal life influenced him to write a book? Why should JKR care what anyone does with their personal life? It’s none of her business.

If Steve’s personal life were really part of this case, don’t you think Cendali et al. would have mentioned it?

A little less emotion and more logic would be nice here. And some facts that actually pertain to the case while we’re at it.

JKR has been dragged into this mess because of these 2 people who had to have what they wanted NOW. And yes, anyone can figure out who it is, because she now is the owner of the new hp-lexicon.info site. So it’s not as if she is trying to stay anonymous.
JKR didn’t get dragged into this mess. It was she who brought the suit in the first place. No one bound her hand and foot and forced her to do this. For the umpteenth time, Steve is NOT A DEFENDANT. If anything, it was HE who was “dragged into this mess.”

“But..but….I’m not the one who needs professional help! LOL. I think SVA needs help, but more along the priestly kind to help in his spiritual battle. But his closest companion probably would whisper against that. So be it, he’s allowing it to happen”
Oh, please, he is fifty years old. I am sure he can make up his own mind about stuff. Why drag religion into a copyright case? As for the divorce, nobody knows what it is like between a man and a woman when the doors are closed. If you are judging him, then you have probably never been married.

I thought this post was about the fan feud hatred and not about the copyright case. Elanor is not simply Steve’s companion, she’s also a major figure in fandom. And she’s his partner in this business. She urged him to publish this book. Who do you think came up with the indemnity clause idea? She intends to turn the Lexicon into a moneymaking machine.

AB- I would love to see your proof. If you do not have any then, please, stop spreading such things. No one knows what kind of relationship two people have other then the two people that are in it. You are only stating what you believe to be true and not the actual truth.

Only the people that have no real arguement begin to make things personal. Is that why you are spreading hatred? Because you have no real argument other then in order to love JKR you have to hate Steve. Didn’t Harry even find pity for Tom JR.? By taking the stance you are taking you are going against all the good JKR placed into the HP books.

AB – nice try, but, um…no. I had nothing to do with the publishing of the Lexicon book, so I certainly didn’t “urge” it. Perhaps you’re confusing me with an RDR employee?

I didn’t really have any feelings on it one way or the other, but I also do not believe it ought to be made illegal. I am extremely proud of Steve for standing up for himself during this and showing extraordinary restraint throughout the constant bullying, abuse and even death threats; you can’t belittle that by saying that it was my doing all along.

I am not Steve’s “business partner,” and the indemnity clause was the idea of a lawyer, which I am decidedly not. I support him because I believe that he has the right to have the book’s legality decided by the law, not by the mob. That I stand by what I believe even though that mob has taken away my position in fandom ought to be demonstration enough of the strength of my belief. I don’t care what it costs me: I will support him because that is the right thing to do.

I’m sorry, but repeating things that you have made up does not make them true.

Obviously, here we have a “mob” that isn’t really that large – but it sure is vocal and repetitious. Forget the fact that the law allows for Fair Use, and the absolute fact that the Judge said JKR’s copyright was never in any danger – she cannot “lose her copyright” by doing nothing – that is a myth. Read the freaking court transcript! Judge Patterson told the witness from Scholastic that JKR’s copyright “trumps” a secondary book, so even if it is printed there is no danger to the HP books whatsoever.

This is great because some of you are just falling right into this pattern again of attacking people and writing any hateful personal thing you can think of just because Steve wrote a simple book. Some of you are acting as if Steve never did anything in Fandom except this lawsuit, so I guess you were obliviated last October 31. Luckily some of us still have our memories and our wits from the years before that day.

Steve and the other Lexicon writers still know more about these books than some of you will ever know (if you’ve even read the HP books, which I’m beginning to doubt. Remember Dumbledore? Remember tolerance? Remember mercy and pity? Remember friendship? No, I didn’t think so.)

And I am proud that I raised cain the other day about the word “assassinate” the other day. Have any of you read the news this weekend? We take that word seriously in the U.S. and Hillary Clinton may have just lost the Vice Presidency because she used it about her opponents. Surely she didn’t mean it, but on the other hand, she should know better, which was my point exactly. No one in Fandom should be using these types of violent words either for any reason, period.

Wow. All this controversy flashes me back to twenty years ago, when the fandom I was deeply into then suffered a complete meltdown. Bitter, bitter recriminations, accusations of “NOT a True Fan,” completely irrelevant personal insults – and, yes, even the horror of death threats – all flew like You-Know-What, and fouled everything they touched.

Why were people at one another’s throat back then? The usual: somebody disagreed about something with the originator of the Universe we all loved, AFTER the supply of new stories had dried up. We were all in withdrawal over the end of the series, and all the fans who were looking for someone to blame for the end of the supply jumped on the dissenters as if the story-deprivation were their fault, for having gainsaid the author in any way (it wasn’t). They were hoping that if they just Believed hard enough (and squelched all comment to the contrary), the wonderful stories would come back and make us feel good again.

It was emotional, it was vicious, it was completely futile, and it put me completely off the author and all the self-styled Loyal, True Fans who wanted so much to turn back the clock by sheer force of will… and, incidentally, by shutting up the opposition. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. It has nothing to do with the merits of this civil suit. Nothing. It’s all just hysteria, and will probably make people cringe with embarrassment for things they’ve said and done, after all this is over.

Rowling exposed her true intent when she expressed fears that Vander Ark could turn around and sue her for quoting him (a ‘bat-s### insane’ and profoundly ridiculous assertion if I ever saw one): Clearly she was planning to make use of the cataloguing, categorizing and alphabetizing work that he had already done for the Lexicon–for the benefit of her own encyclopedia. So to come to court and pretend as though this work is worthless makes her beyond hypocritical. Obviously she was just going to make up random sh## (like Dumbledore’s gay and Sirius is a hermaphrodite) to go alongside what was already on the web…taking advantage of a fan and giving him nothing in return for all the years he had spent promoting her work for free.

I still love the Harry Potter books; but I deplore the author’s vindictiveness, cowardice and ingratitude. She could stand to learn a lot from her protagonist.